SPRING CREEK township was formed from the original town of Brokenstraw
on the 8th day of March, 1821, and was called "Number Two" until
the inhabitants named it as it is now known, from the stream which drains its
soil. It is in the western tier of townships in the county, and is bounded north
by Columbus, east by Pittsfield, south by Eldred, and west by parts of Crawford
and Erie counties. Brokenstraw and Spring Creeks are the principal
streams in the town. The surface is pleasantly diversified by hill and dale, and
the soil is fertile and excellently adapted to agriculture, being especially favorable
to dairying and stock raising.
Early Settlements. —The first settlement made within the present boundary
lines of Spring Creek was on the Brokenstraw Creek, south of the State road
by Andrew Evers and Elijah Jackson. These two men came to this then wilderness
together on the 10th day of November, 1797, and built the first cabin
in the vicinity, a few rods nearly north of the present dwelling house of William
M. Jackson. They came from what was then called Union Mills, now
Union City, Pa. Elijah Jackson settled on the farm now owned and occupied
by his son, William M., a sketch of whose life appears in later pages of this
book. He (Elijah) was born in Litchfield, Conn., on the 27th of October, 1772.
When he was a youth his father removed to Ontario county, N. Y., whence,
upon attaining his majority, he went to Marietta, Ohio. There he and his
companions were in constant apprehension of attacks from hostile Indians, having
to remain in barracks when their business did not demand their presence
elsewhere, and at such times being under the protection of an armed guard.
Not liking this kind of life, Mr. Jackson came to this part of the country. In
this town he remained—on the farm which he was the first to clear and cultivate—
until his death on the 1st of September, 1845. He was worthy of the
esteem in which he was universally held. He was a farmer and lumberman
of enterprise and honesty, and a citizen of public spirit and fearless utterances.
Soon after their arrival, Andrew Evers removed to the farm now owned
and occupied by Clinton Horn, where he remained until his death, some thirty five
or forty years afterward. He was of a quiet disposition, industrious and
conservative — a good citizen. None of his descendants are now in Spring
Creek. He used to say of himself that he was a citizen of the world, for he
was born (of Irish parentage) in mid-ocean, in a vessel bound for America.
In 1798 George Long, with his wife and three children, came from the
Susquehanna, and lived until 1801 with Andrew Evers. Then he removed
farther down the creek, built a dwelling house, and in 1802 erected the first
saw-mill in town, on the site now occupied by the Horn mill. In that year
Elijah Jackson made the first clearing on the site of the present village of West
Spring Creek, where he was succeeded by Joshua Whitney. About the year
1800 James Watt came from Lancaster county and settled west of the Brokenstraw,
on the line afterward occupied by the State road, and on the farm since
in the possession of Jamieson & Co. In 1801 Daniel Horn purchased the
property of George Long, now called Horn's Siding, and resided there until his
death in 1869, at the ripe old age of ninety years. He was born in New Jersey,
and served as lieutenant in the War of 1812. He was the third sheriff of
Warren county, receiving the election in 1825 ; and in 1830 and again in 1838
was chosen county commissioner. He was a very active and successful business
man. He operated a saw-mill on his place as long as he continued in business.
His sons Clinton and Stephen are on the old homestead. Other children are
Mrs. D. S. Prentiss, of Garland, and Irwin, Martha and Ellen, in Illinois. O.
D., E. D., and D. D. Horn, of this county, are sons of Hiram and grandsons
of Daniel Horn. John Horn, a brother of Daniel, was here at the beginning
of the present century and lived with Daniel until the time of his marriage, not
far from 1830, when he removed to Missouri and passed the remainder of his
days.
Andrew Evers, Elijah Jackson, and James Watt were the first settlers on
the William Miles, now the Irvine farm. Charles McNair and James Culbertson,
bachelors, came in about the same time. Culbertson settled a few rods
east of the place of Elijah Jackson, and McNair lived with him. There they
built a saw-mill, which continued in operation until they removed to what was,
at the time of their going, Deerfield township, in the second quarter of the century.
Robert Boner settled previous to 1806 in the northern part of the town
and built a log grist-mill. His was the first grist-mill in town. He was a good
business man and public spirited, and it was a loss to Spring Creek that he
remained here but two or three years.
The first list of taxables of the town, made out in 1822, reveals the names
of the settlers who had made this town their home previous to that time, and
attests that they were men of the right sort to open a new country—men of
nerve and courage, who were willing to suffer hardships and privations for the
promised reward of a settled habitation, where a competence might with diligent
application be obtained; men of enterprise and foresight sufficient to see
the benefits of living in a country covered with such valuable timber, and to
take advantage of their sagacity. Such of them as remained in town long
enough to identify themselves with its history are mentioned in the paragraphs
immediately following, in alphabetical order:
Horace B. Abbey was something of a lumberman, who settled about the year
1821 a little southwest of the site of West Spring Creek. As early as 1840 he
removed southward. James Benson was a farmer and commenced clearing a
farm just north of the present place of William M. Jackson. He was there only
five or six years, however, after which he went to Waterford, Pa., where a number
of his descendants are now living. Daniel Boardman came to Spring Creek
in 1821, and lived until about the year 1850 next to the farm settled by Benson.
He was a farmer, and did not spend much time or money in the lumber business.
Luther Chase came about the same time and lived in the same neighborhood,
but went to Columbus soon after this time. He was a farmer and
lumberman, and a man of unusual enterprise. Daniel Corbet is mentioned in
this list, though all accounts of his settlement agree that he had gone to Columbus
before this time. He was the first settler on the farm afterward occupied
by Benson and Chase. It is probable that he is mentioned at this time
as a property owner, not as a resident.
Robert Donaldson, also named in this list, did not become a resident until
about 1830. He was born in Ireland in 1780, and settled not far from 1820
near Wrightsville, in this county, and soon after moved to Pittsfield. He was
largely engaged in the farming and lumbering interests, was a man of great
sagacity and energy, and was furthermore honest and fair in all his dealings.
He was an unwavering Democrat. He owned about 900 acres of land, embracing
the entire site of the present village of Spring Creek, having purchased the
property in about 1830 from Thomas C. Rockhill, jr., of Philadelphia. He died
in October, 1868, a short time after he had divided his property among his
four sons, Daniel, Irvin, David and Wilson—all but the last of whom are yet
living. Robert Donaldson also had two daughters—Eleanor and Cordelia,
both of whom are now living; the former the wife of William H. Deming,
the latter Mrs. Levi Leonard. Daniel Donaldson, now a resident of Spring
Creek village, was born on what is known as the James Cotton farm, near
Wrightsville, on the 2d of October, 1824, and came to Spring Creek with his
father.
John Jobes was a resident of Spring Creek at an early day and worked in
saw-mills. After a number of years he procured a farm about half a mile east
of Irvine's Four Corners, where he passed the rest of his life, dying at the advanced
age of about ninety years, in 1885. One son, Samuel, and one daughter,
Mary, wife of William Patchen, survive him. Harris Lasure was a respectable
factotum of his town, and resided for a time on the western part of the
farm occupied at the same time by James Benson. He left town before 1840,
and died at Jamestown. His father-in-law, Abner Sherwin, owned a gristmill
on the western part of the William Miles farm at a very early date. William
Miles was never, properly speaking, a resident of Spring Creek, though he
was an extensive land owner here. The farms occupied by James Benson, Luther
Chase, and his nearest neighbors were all leased of William Miles, who
also operated a large saw-mill in town. Eleazer Ogden resided for a short
time on the William Miles farm, but left town as early as 1830. James Tubbs
married the eldest sister of William M. Jackson ; lived here many years, and
died near the center of the town on the 15th of May, 1859. Thomas W. Tubbs,
who married another daughter of Elijah Jackson, was a resident of Spring
Creek before the formation of the township. After a long residence here he
removed to Crawford county, where he died on the 16th of December, 1881.
Marcus Turner was an early settler in the northern part of the town, and was a
farmer and lumberman. After a residence here of but a few years he removed
in the direction of Fredonia, N. Y., where he died. Alexander Watt, a brother
of Mrs. Elijah Jackson, was an early settler on the place next east of Elijah
Jackson, where he died on the 2d of February, 1866. One daughter, Mrs.
Hannah Mallery, now lives in town. Converse B. White, an eccentric man,
engaged in farming and lumbering about one and a half miles east of West
Spring Creek. His family are all gone. He emigrated south under peculiar
circumstances and there met his death. Joshua Whitney, already mentioned,
worked for some time in saw-mills, and left town not far from the year 1835.
He afterward married and died in Crawford county. This ends the list of setters
previous to 1822.
One or two of the most worthy of the early settlers of Spring Creek remain
to be mentioned, however. George Yager was a man so invaluable to his
town that a chapter would indeed be incomplete that did not give some of the
incidents of his life and character. In the year 1825, when he was about
twenty-nine years of age, he, with his wife Clarissa, nee Armitage, and only
daughter, Sarah, moved from Otsego county in the State of New York to this
township, and settled on the place now belonging to the estate of Michael C.
Smith. At that time the country was still an almost unbroken wilderness, and
luxuries or even conveniences were hardly attainable. His early training had
made him conversant with the labors of husbandry, and being a man of tireless
industry and perseverance, these were not to him insurmountable obstacles.
Both early and late he toiled, his energy seeming to increase by what it fed
on. His farm is one of the most fertile tracts in this section of the State. He
was the first postmaster in the town. He was a man of rare virtue and moral
worth, intelligent, high-minded, patriotic, firm but tolerant in his opinions,
honest, devoted to his church and party. He died in 1881, at the age of eighty five
years. His wife survives him and is now living with her daughter, Mrs.
Cummings, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, in the enjoyment of
good health.
N. P. Cummings, who married Sarah, daughter of George Yager, in 1837,
was born in Bristol county, Mass., in 1813. He came to Spring Creek in 1835.
Four children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Cummings, two of whom,
George D. and Mary A., are yet living. George D. Cummings was born in
Spring Creek on the 17th of August, 1842. He married Sue Woodbury, of
Pittsfield township, in September, 1868, and is now a respected resident of
West Spring Creek. N. P. Cummings left the old homestead (now belonging
to the estate of Michael C. Smith, as before stated) and came to West Spring
Creek in 1869, where he has for a good part of the time since operated the
grist-mill.
Another prominent factor in the development of the town was Josiah Deming,
who was born in Amsterdam, N. Y., on the 17th of November, 1791, and
died in Spring Creek on the 8th of January, 1871. He came to Spring Creek
from Unadilla, N. Y., in February, 1838, and purchased the farm of Aaron
Rose, embracing the present site of West Spring Creek and the farm now
owned and occupied by his son, J. O. Deming. This piece of land contained
149 acres, and at that time there had been but one village lot measured and
sold off—the one now occupied by Curtis Johnson. Mr. Deming divided his
land into village lots and deliberately started the construction of a village.
He was a gunsmith by trade, and he at once opened a gun-shop, a saw-mill,
and a grist-mill. This is the same grist-mill now owned and operated by Mr.
Cummings. Mr. Deming "also built the first hotel in town at that place, and
was a most liberal contributor toward the building of the Union Church edifice
now owned by the Congregationalists. In 1866 he resigned his business into
the hands of his children. His wife was Asenath Mudge. They had five sons
and five daughters, of whom four sons and four daughter are now living. E.
L. Deming, the eldest, was born August 1, 1813, and died in February, 1885 ;
Julia A., now Mrs. Presho, of Yankton, Dak., was born May 10, 1815 ; William
H. was born January 1, 1817, and now resides at Erie; Salgy Amelia,
now Mrs. J. P. Mather, of Council Grove, Kan., was born December 24, 1820;
Sally Mailla, born March 3, 1819, died April 1, 1819; Euphemia J., born
March 20, 1823, married Abijah Morrison, of Warren, and died about fifteen
years ago; Loton Lament, born April 17, 1825, is in Charleston, Ark.; Josiah
Ogden, born December 10, 1827, now lives on the old homestead in West
Spring Creek; Frances Jane, born May 4, 1830, is now Mrs. Harvey Thompson,
of Charleston, Ark.; Mary Amanda, born December 3, 1831, is now the
wife of Daniel Donaldson, at Spring Creek village ; and Andrew Jackson, born
December 25, 1834, now lives at West Spring Creek. The mother of these
children, whose maiden name was Mudge, was descended from an English
family who emigrated to this country in Puritan times, the first of the name on
the American continent being Joseph Mudge, one of the first and most powerful
Methodist preachers in the country.
At the time that Josiah Deming came to West Spring Creek there was
practically no village there. The only buildings on the ground now occupied
by the village were a blacksmith shop and three dwelling houses, occupied respectively
by Charles McGlashen, Eleazer Aken, and Josiah Deming. The
village of Spring Creek was still later in birth, no sign of such a place being
detectable in 1830, and for years thereafter Robert Donaldson being the only
inhabitant of its site. The village did not assume the appearance of its present
thrift until the railroad was opened. The first family to move in after that
event was that of Baldwin Willis, who was division boss on this division of the
road. His house stood on the site of the present residence of A. W. Jackson.
The first station agent here was David Donaldson. The first store in the village
was the grocery of Irvin Donaldson, where the drug store now is. Next
was the store of Willis & Jackson, then of David Slasher, now of Erie, and
next the store of William G. Garcelon. The first postmaster in Spring Creek
village was David Donaldson, who was appointed by President Buchanan.
Previous to that time William Garcelon had been postmaster at the mouth of
Spring Creek, and when he came to this village, during Lincoln's administration
he succeeded Donaldson. At his death in 1876 P. M. Garcelon received
the appointment. The present incumbent is Dr. W. O. Gilson.
The first tavern in Spring Creek village was opened by James Johnson
about i860, who after some five or six years sold the property to its present
owner, Warren Fuller. It is now a private house.
Present Business Interests.— The oldest saw-mill now in operation in town
is that of Curtis Johnson, which is operated by steam. E. B. Hyde also owns
a water power mill, which has been busy for more than twenty years. Davis,
Jones & White operate a steam saw-mill, which has been in their possession a
number of years. It was originally built by William H. Deming on another
site, and removed to its present site. Wesley Nichols is the proprietor of a
steam shingle-mill, a business with which he has been connected for some fifteen
years. Bates & Phillis started a steam saw-mill about five years ago,
which is now owned and operated by the junior partner of the former firm,
James Phillis.
The tannery, now so successfully operated by Fred Beck, was built by him
some fifteen years ago. The site of the present tannery of J. G. Tyler, at
West Spring Creek, was first occupied by a tannery shortly previous to 1870,
owned by Yennie & Manzer. It burned in December, 1871, and about twelve
years ago the present building was erected by N. P. Cummings and F. A.
Butterfield, under the firm name of Cummings & Butterfield. They were succeeded
in the ownership of this property by McConnell & Hermens, by Tyler
& McConnell, and the last-mentioned firm by the present owner.
The first store at West Spring Creek was opened by Charles McGlashen
in 1836. There is now but one store in this village. It was started by George
Cummings in January, 1877. In February, 1884, Mr. Cummings sold out to
Myers & Stanley. M. A. Myers himself now owns the property and conducts
the business.
The first postmaster in the township was George Yager, who received the
appointment in 1828, the office then having the name of Spring Creek. While
he was postmaster the mail was distributed at his house. At that time the
mail was carried on horseback, one of the routes being from Titusville, through
Columbus, and another from Meadville to Jamestown. Previous to the year
1837 the office was removed to the bridge on the State road (which road was
opened 1818-19), and it appears that George F. Eldred was appointed postmaster.
From there Mr. Garcelon carried the office to the village of Spring
Creek, as before stated. The first postmaster at West Spring Creek was
Nathaniel Wood, a native of Vermont, who was appointed by President Pierce
about 1854 or 1855. In the mean time the store and mill property which had
in 1837 belonged to Charles McGlashen had, about 1842, been sold to Abraham
Woodin. The present owner of the property, Curtis Johnson, obtained
his title about 1862. William H. Deming succeeded Wood as postmaster
under Buchanan, and during the first term of President Lincoln gave place to
his father, Josiah Deming. The office was kept in their store while it was in
their family, the store having been first opened about 1850. This store is
now occupied as a dwelling house by N. P. Cummings, who bought it in 1869,
the same year in which he acquired title to the grist-mill. From the date of
his appointment to that of his death, Josiah Deming remained postmaster at
West Spring Creek, when he was succeeded by the present official, W. H.
Babcock.
There is now no hotel at West Spring Creek, and but one at Spring Creek
village, called the Cottage Hotel. It was opened six or seven years ago by
Caroline Donaldson, widow of Wilson Donaldson, and was continued by her
son, Frederick R. Donaldson, the present proprietor, after the spring of 1884.
Of the stores now open in Spring Creek village, that of P. M. Garcelon &
Co. (the Co. being J. H. Donaldson) is the oldest. It was started in 1868 by
W. G. Garcelon, brother of the senior member of the present firm. From
1871 to 1876 W. G. and P. M. Garcelon were partners in the business. From
that year until the fall of 1885 P. M. Garcelon was sole proprietor of the
trade, the growing demands of the trade, however, then compelling him to
take into his business confidence Mr. Donaldson. They carry a general stock
valued at about six thousand dollars.
William Baker began to deal in general merchandise at West Spring Creek
about fifteen years ago. In 1878 he removed to Spring Creek village, and in
the fall of 1881 erected his present commodious store building.
The trade in drugs and medicines now controlled by Dr. W. O. Gilson and
C. D. Baker, under the firm style of Gilson & Baker, was established by H. P.
Hamilton. After a brief period of trade, Hamilton sold out to Dr. S. C.
Diefendorf about 1883. In 1884 J. D. Shannon became proprietor of the
business, and in the fall of 1885 sold his interests to the present firm.
Physicians, Past and Present.—The first physician to exercise the mysteries
of Esculapius in Spring Creek was Dr. Fitch, of Columbus, who was soon
assisted without his own consent by Dr. Eaton, of Concord, Pa. One Dr.
Cornell was the first resident physician in the township, and dwelt at West
Spring Creek for two or three years previous to 1840. About that time Dr.
Southard Wood came to West Spring Creek from Crawford county, and after
a residence and practice there of many years he removed to Spartansburg, Pa.,
where he died. His remains, however, were buried in this township, where
was, before, the last of earth of his first wife. Dr. Samuel Rogers also removed
at a comparatively early day from Sugar Grove to West Spring Creek
and remained several years. The first physician to reside at the railroad station
was Dr. Elias Baker, who came from Concord, Pa., about 1874, and after
a stay of two years returned to Concord. Dr. Diefendorf then sojourned
here for a brief time, and was succeeded by the present physician of the place.
Dr. W. O. Gilson was born at Titusville, Pa., on the 8th of January, 1858.
There he received his education, and he studied medicine there under the
guidance of Dr. W. A. Baker. He then attended lectures at the Western
Reserve University, of Cleveland, O., and in February, 1883, received his professional
diploma from the medical department of that institution. He came
at once to Spring Creek and began to practice. In the fall of 1885 he was
appointed postmaster at Spring Creek, and at that time began his career as a
druggist. He married in June, 1885, Jessie, daughter of William Baker. The
only other physician in town is Dr. W. L. Harvey, who practices at East
Branch.
Schools and Churches.—The first school in this township was taught by
Daniel Jones in 1804 and 1805, in a log house at the mouth of Spring Creek.
The next was taught by Daniel Horn in 1809 and 1810. All the schools were
supported by subscription until 1834. There are now fourteen schools in the
township, those at the two villages each having two departments. The average
attendance for the whole township is about 400.
The first church organized in town was the Congregational, which was
formed at West Spring Creek in 1847, and the church edifice, the first in town,
was then erected. The Methodist Episcopal Church edifice at that place was
dedicated in 1875. At Spring Creek village a Congregational house of worship
was erected about five years ago, the services therein now being conducted
by Rev. A. B. Sherk, the pastor at West Spring Creek. The Methodist
denomination also erected a house of worship at Spring Creek in 1886, the site
being donated by D. H. Donaldson. The pastor of this church is Rev. A. S.
M. Hopkins.
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